Best of our wild blogs: 28 Jun 08

Pheasants in China
a less pleasant encounter on the Bird Ecology Study Group blog

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Here's your chance to 'poke' the Government

Feedback unit Reach sets up Facebook profile in bid to engage S'pore netizens
Li Xueying, Straits Times 28 Jun 08;

YOU can now poke, suckerpunch, and send a tulip - or perhaps a Venus Flytrap if you prefer - to the Government.

For it is now on Facebook. To be precise, its feedback arm, Reach, has created a profile on the popular social networking website.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday viewed it at the launch of Reach's roving interactive exhibition at the HDB Hub in Toa Payoh.

Putting on his spectacles, PM Lee confirmed four friend requests (adding to the existing 281), checked out photos of Reach events and typed a message on the wall of one of its friends.

'Welcome to Facebook! Glad to have you as a friend. Please tell your friends too,' he typed, signing off as 'LHL (for Reach)'.

The profile was created two weeks ago and was made public to all yesterday. It can be found by searching for 'Reach Singapore'.

Reach chairman Amy Khor said it was a necessary platform to engage netizens.

'Singaporeans are increasingly comfortable with the new media. So to engage them on this platform is not just something logical but vital,' she said, noting that Facebook was one of the top 12 search hits for Singaporeans last year.

At the same time, the nature of Facebook means there is a 'multiplier effect' as friends of friends can be linked.

They will be able to give their responses to poll questions, such as what they think of the Budget, the National Day Rally or simply the latest policy announcement.

The Facebook effort is the latest in the arsenal that Reach is building to engage Singaporeans as it tries to combat the perception that the Government does not listen enough when it formulates policies.

For those who are less Internet-savvy, a roving exhibition was launched yesterday. It will tour community centres in the heartland and educational institutes islandwide.

It addresses questions like 'Does Reach edit my feedback?' The reply: 'Feedback is not edited to retain the original sentiment and nuance.'

At the event, PM Lee also suggested that Reach start an online live screen showing the latest feedback.

Dr Khor, who is also Senior Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, later said Reach will look at posting a summary of the top three issues each month either on its website or on its Facebook profile.

Giving an update on Reach's progress since she took over in 2006 and revamped the former Feedback Unit with efforts like a blog, Dr Khor said results have been 'encouraging'.

In the past year alone, input increased by 40 per cent while the number of members jumped 70 per cent to 8,500.

Marketing executive Rita Ong, 37, who has a Facebook account, said such new efforts will appeal to younger Singaporeans. 'As they spend so much time surfing the Net, giving their feedback is now just a matter of clicks.'

The long arm of Reach, on Facebook
Today Online 28 Jun 08;

HAVE a gripe about a certain policy? You can now whinge about it on Facebook — straight to the Government.

Reach Singapore, the feedback agency in charge of garnering public views, on Friday launched its profile page on the social networking site in a bid to engage the net-savvy, especially the young.

“I understand it is among the top 12, hit-wise, of Singapore’s Net best sites,” said Reach panel chairman Dr Amy Khor, adding that there are more than 340,000 Singaporeans on Facebook.

She added that the site’s unique features, such as the ability to reach a user’s list of friends, ensures a “multiplier effect”.

For starters, the agency may broadcast on Facebook a summary of the top three talking points each monthly — a suggestion from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, according to Dr Khor. This would show that Reach “reads through every feedback, analyses it, summarises it and channels it to the relevant ministries”.

The agency has been exploring new media tools such as blogs, web chats and discussion forums to expand its feedback channels since it was revamped in October 2006, she added. “Over a one-year period, we have seen our feedback input increase by 40 per cent. The number of forum members has also increased by more than 17 per cent to more than 8,500 now.”

On Friday, Reach also launched a roving interactive exhibition with games and quizzes to engage heartlanders. — Nazry Bahrawi

REACH launches first roving interactive exhibition in heartlands
Channel NewsAsia 27 Jun 08;

SINGAPORE : The amount of feedback collected by the government's feedback arm REACH has gone up by 40 per cent since its restructuring in October 2006.

Not content with that, it is now venturing deeper into the online community to better engage younger Singaporeans. Its latest new media initiative is to join popular online social networking site Facebook.

Facebook is arguably one of the hottest social networking sites around, and the government's feedback arm has just added its profile to it.

Even Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong got into the act on Friday - writing a note on Facebook's wall.

Since REACH was formed, it has banked on various new media channels such as webchats, blogs and SMSes to reach out to a more diverse segment of the population.

With Facebook, REACH hopes for a multiplier effect as it connects to those already active on the network.

Its various initiatives, both online and off, have shown very encouraging results.

Dr Amy Khor, Chairman, REACH Panel, said: "The number of People Forum members has also increased by about 17 per cent to more than 8,500 now, and in fact, the dialogue session at the heartlands has actually increased our dialogue participants by three-fold."

To widen its reach in the heartlands, the unit has also launched a roving exhibition, which kicked off at the HDB Toa Payoh Hub on Friday. The roving exhibition is going to go across the island over the next few years.

Meanwhile, REACH is thinking of summarising the top discussion issues of the month on its website or Facebook profile.

Dr Khor said this will close the feedback loop, where comments and proposals are analysed and channelled to the relevant ministries. - CNA/ms

Active citizenry exhibition opens
Business Times 28 Jun 08;

THE government agency for connecting with citizens - Reach (Reaching Everyone for Active Citizenry @ Home) - launched a roving interactive exhibition at HDB Hub Mall in Toa Payoh yesterday.

The exhibition aims to increase heartlanders' awareness of Reach and the feedback channels they can use to engage the government, thereby encouraging them to share their views on policies and social issues.

Reach chairman Amy Khor said: 'It offers an excellent platform for us to reach out to the masses right on their doorstep, increasing our presence among residents and making our feedback channels known to them.'

Besides static information displays, members of the public can interact with Reach ambassadors and take part in interactive quizzes and games at the exhibition.

Visitors can also provide feedback via on-site laptops and explore Reach's profile page on social networking site Facebook.

'New media tools are an extension of what Reach can do to engage segments of the population who might otherwise be left out of the feedback process,' said Dr Khor.

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Are we looking at buildings only as money-spinners?

Letter from Sandra Jayandran, Today Online 28 Jun 08;

I READ “It’s the end of the Storey” (June 27) with disbelief.

How serious are we as a nation about preserving what little is left of our heritage? What, exactly, are these “engineering constraints” that make it impossible to construct the Downtown Line without demolishing the New 7th Storey Hotel?

Since the Bugis station already exists, would it be fair to say that they will just be doing works underground? And if so, can they not tunnel around the building, rather than just directly below it?

After the recent demolition of the much-loved National Library (and going back even further, other historical landmarks such as the National Theatre, the Van Cleef Aquarium, the old Esplanade — Elizabeth Walk — and Satay Club), have we not learned our lesson? We can’t turn back the clock and save these buildings — some would say, monuments — but going forward, we can try our best to preserve those that are still with us.

I feel that we are still not doing enough in this area and tend to look at buildings purely from an economic standpoint — hence, you get the Raffles Hotel, Chijmes and the Singapore Art Museum. These structures are money-spinners and to the authorities, the New 7th Storey Hotel is merely an anachronism from the past, on its last legs, deserving of the wrecking ball.

It is not too late. I beseech the authorities to re-consider their decision and leave the New 7th Storey Hotel alone.

Don’t let it die
Shouldn’t technology be able to save the New 7th Storey Hotel?
Letter from Yan Dawei, Today Online 28 Jun 08;

I REFER to “It’s the end of the Storey” (June 27) and I want to express my utmost disappointment at the imminent demolition of the New 7th Storey Hotel (picture) along Rochor Road.

It is hard to understand that with the advance in building technology why this is the only engineering solution to resolve the situation; we have even seen an MRT station built under a huge canal in the Chinatown area. Many countries have succeeded in merging new and existing buildings through tactful architectural intervention (we can count our own Bugis Junction as an example of this, as well).

Then again, this is yet another painful reminder of other similar examples — the most recent being the demolition of the red-brick National Library building.

Another is now fading away in most memories — the beloved former National Theatre, which was just a few streets away.

I hope the Government remembers that the collective historical memory of Singapore belongs to the nation and her people, and must be treated with great respect. Architectural history is an important component in the fabric of the people’s collective memory and these threads should not be so easily removed under the tag of “progress”.

Is it any wonder that increasing numbers of younger Singaporeans are finding it harder to take root in the country? It will of interest to hear the comments of the Urban Redevelopment Authority, the National Heritage Board and other relevant authorities on this matter.

It’s the end of the Storey
53-year-old hotel and itshistoric lift to make wayfor Downtown Line station
Zul Othman, Today Online 27 Jun 08;

IT STANDS oddly alone on its particular stretch of Rochor Road, exuding an old-world charm at odds with hipper neighbours such as Bugis Junction.

Even though the structure is worn and reportedly tilting — on account of the shifting sands in its foundation — many see The 7th Storey Hotel (picture) as one of the area’s last surviving grand dames and a window into the past: The budget hotel, with its 38 rooms, is still decked out in much the same décor it wore when it opened in 1955 ... including what is reputedly the island’s last surviving cage lift.

Its restaurant, famous for its charcoal steamboat, also has a faithful following.

But all this has to make way for progress: By the end of the year, the53-year-old hotel will make way for the construction of the 4.3km-long Downtown Line Stage 1, which will run from Bugis Station (on the East-West Line) to Chinatown Station (on the North-East Line).

In a statement yesterday, the Land Transport Authority, the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) and the Urban RedevelopmentAuthority explained that because of “engineering constraints which cannot be avoided”, the hotel will be demolished to allow for construction of the new Bugis station.

It is also the first site picked for raildevelopment after changes to the LandAcquisition Act were passed in February last year, said an SLA spokesperson. Under the amendments, the owners of the hotel will get compensation “pegged at market value”, taking into: account past transactions, the property’s condition and any renovation.

While details were scanty, Cushman and Wakefield Singapore managing director Donald Han said a hotel site at Merchant Road up for tender drew an offer of $700 to $750 psf per plot ratio :last year.

For patrons and the 19 employees of the hotel, they first heard the news of the hotel’s fate from reporters that dropped by yesterday — and it was a blow.

“I didn’t hear anything from the bosses,” said Mr Francis Poh, 66, who operates the mechanical cage lift which he called the hotel’s pride and joy.

He added in Mandarin: “It’s sad because the staff here are like family to me. I hate to think I have to find another job.”

Mr Colin Toh, 52, a regular patron of the steamboat restaurant since 2003, said: “It’s such a waste this place has to be torn down. I always bring my overseas friends here to eat. This building is special and has history, but now, that has to go in the name of progress.”

Over the years, the hotel has catered to backpackers from around the world.

Mr Jason Taylor, 26, from New Zealand, who was a first-time guest, thought the closure was a shame. “I was planning to tell my friends about this place because it has been an experience staying here.”

The hotel’s owners, who will have to move out by December, could not be reached for comment.

Mr Han, however, is not surprised at the decision to acquire the hotel, given that it is surrounded by government land. “It is not too surprising that the authorities are integrating the small plot to come out with a comprehensive transport infrastructure.”

The acquired hotel site will be merged with the adjacent State land parcel bounded by North Bridge Road, Tan Quee Lan Street, Beach Road and Rochor Road for future comprehensive development.

This is to allow for better integration of the station and ground-level structures with the future development of the site, and to enable the planned pedestrian network and other designs for the area to be realised.

Six stations will make up the Downtown Line Stage 1, scheduled to open in 2013: Bugis, Promenade, Bayfront, Landmark, Cross Street and Chinatown.

The contract for the construction of the new Bugis station and tunnels from Beach Road to Queen Street will be tendered early next month, for award in November. — ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY TEO XUAN WEI

Shame 7th Storey hotel must make way for MRT
Letter from Yan Dawei, Straits Times Forum 30 Jun 08;

I MUST express my disappointment at the imminent demolition of the New 7th Storey Hotel in Rochor Road to make way for a Downtown Line MRT station.

It seems another noteworthy building in the history of Singapore is being sacrificed in the name of progress.

With all the advances in building technology (there is even an MRT station built under a huge canal in Chinatown), it is hard to understand why this is the only way to resolve the situation.

To the layman, it seems that the authorities think demolishing the hotel is the cheapest and most convenient way to remove a thorn in the flesh via land acquisition.

In comparison, other countries have tried and succeeded in merging new and existing buildings with tactful architecture intervention.

The New 7th Storey Hotel demolition is another painful reminder of similar acts by the authorities.

The most recent example is the demolition of the red-brick National Library building in Stamford Road. Another, already fading in our memories, is the beloved former National Theatre, just a few streets away.

I hope the Government remembers that the collective historical memory of Singapore belongs to the nation, and its people, and must be treated with respect.

Architectural history is an important component in the fabric of the people's memory, and these threads should not be torn down in the name of progress.

Is it any wonder that increasing numbers of young Singaporeans find it hard to sink roots here and choose to move abroad?

It is also in the nation's interest that the Urban Redevelopment Authority, National Heritage Board and other authorities comment on this.


New 7th Storey Hotel has conservation value
Letter from Tan Chee Hiong, Straits Times Forum 1 Jul 08;

I AM disappointed and deeply disturbed by the decision of the relevant authorities to demolish the New 7th Storey Hotel. It is unbelievable that one of the oldest and iconic Singapore hotels, together with its tourism and service quality award-winning service staff, could be written off in less than six months with the stroke of a pen in the name of progress.

According to media reports, the LTA mentioned that this hotel has no conservation status. Notwithstanding this, I feel that the relevant authorities should instead consider whether a historic building has conservation or tourism potential, even if it does not have conservation status presently for various reasons, such as its owners' oversight in failing to volunteer the building for conservation.

The New 7th Storey Hotel is older than post-independent Singapore and it has been a leading landmark that was one of the hottest night spots in the 60s and 70s. Even if it could not meet all criteria necessary to deserve conservation now, its conservation and tourism potential should not be gauged solely by its present value with its future value ignored. If the present generation's inclination is not towards conserving meaningful historic buildings for our future generation, future Singaporeans could be left with little heritage to remember and admire, much less to conserve. A hundred-year-old building is left standing today only because our forefathers decided to leave it behind.

With its short history as a nation, Singapore does not have the luxury of rich heritage from which we could choose to freely keep or discard. From the publicly-owned now-demolished National Library to the privately-held soon-to-be-demolished New 7th Storey Hotel, their value as part of our heritage should transcend their ownership status. While it should be everyone's responsibility to conserve our heritage, the lesson that we should extract from this episode is that owners of historic buildings could have demonstrated stronger civil leadership by volunteering their properties for conservation.

The short six months given to its owners could also leave its owners with very little time and few options to consider even if its owners are keen to conserve it. An option such as reconstructing this hotel at another location while preserving its facade, spiral staircase and the only manually-operated lift left in Singapore is likely to require more than six months to plan and complete.

Considering that the Downtown line is part of the LTA's long-term plan, I wonder why an earlier notice could not have been given to the owners. The media also reported that the owners only heard about this piece of news from the media. The authorities' approach towards this matter seems to run contrary to our vision of building a consultative society.

Nevertheless, I hope concerned Singaporeans with relevant expertise and resources could render their assistance and support to the owners if the owners are interested in conserving this hotel. Singapore needs to conserve its historic buildings as anchors for her people's shared memory to make this Home Singapore, failing which we may have to settle for Hotel Singapore instead.

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Is it time for a Ministry of Energy in Singapore?

Ng Tze Yong, The New Paper 28 Jun 08;

IT'S on the cover of The Economist.

It's the theme of a world summit held at Suntec Convention Centre earlier this week.

And it lies at the core of strikes and protests worldwide.

Energy. The future's all about it.

Will Singapore be ready, when the world runs out of steam?

Several Asean countries such as Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia already have ministries of energy.

In Singapore, however, energy security lies in a muddy middle zone.

It straddles the work of two ministries: the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources.

And then, there is the cast of smaller-sized characters: A think tank (the Energy Studies Institute), a statutory board (the Energy Policy and Planning Division), the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Sustainable Development and an inter-ministerial Energy Policy Group.

In short, there's no one body fully in charge.

As an issue that involves areas as diverse as education, national development, international relations, transport and the environment, among others, energy security can be tough to tackle.

Said senior fellow Elspeth Thomson from the Energy Studies Institute: 'Before we were set up, there were ministries working on the same issue, unaware of the other.'

Said Dr Geh Min, a former Nominated Member of Parliament and ex-president of the Nature Society: 'We need a more integrated approach... the situation is urgent.'

IDEAS

What can a Ministry of Energy, or MOE2, do? Here are ideas to mull over.

# Buy our own oil field

One day, no one may sell us oil because in a Scramble world, available resources may already be tied up in bilateral agreements.

Why not buy an oil or gas field in a neighbouring country like Cambodia, Brunei or Myanmar as a precaution?

# Buy overseas farms to grow food

Like the first idea, this is politically-sensitive. Who will work on the farms - Singaporeans or foreigners?

# A law to set a minimum temperature in Singapore offices

In an energy-deficient world, Singaporeans are wearing sweaters in offices. It is absurd at best, immoral at worst.

# Forge closer relations with oil-producing countries

Until two years ago, Singapore did not have a residential ambassador to Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil producer.

But setting up a new ministry will be expensive and time-consuming.

'It may also send the wrong message to the other ministries that the issue is now off their backs,' said Dr Geh.

Instead, the Prime Minister's Office should take charge, she said.

And let someone like SM Goh Chok Tong, who has already been busy fostering better relations with the Middle East, helm it.

Is it time?

The world is waking up to the crisis. In Singapore, the people are still watching - and freezing in cinemas.

Read more!

Discovering 'insect technology'

Shobana Kesava, Straits Times 28 Jun 08;

INSECTS could be the inspiration for new tools to aid humans, with help from the latest DNA technology. Some projects here include:

# Dragonfly alert system

The humble dragonfly nymph could soon be the aquatic version of the canary in a coalmine.

Just like how the singing birds were used by miners to warn them of foul air, the dragonfly young, which live in ponds and reservoirs, could alert humans to water pollution.

National University of Singapore (NUS) postgraduate researcher Nanthinee Jeevanandam, 28, hopes to use their genetic fingerprint to help organisations like national water agency PUB determine the level of cleanliness of reservoir water.

Different dragonfly species have varied tolerance to pollutants such as lead and sulphate, and some require cleaner water or more oxygen.

So, looking at which species is thriving in the water would be a quick and chemical-free method of assessing water quality, she explained.

DNA barcoding would be used to tell the nymphs apart as they look virtually identical.

Miss Jeevanandam has already collected DNA sequences for about a quarter of Singapore's 110 or so dragonfly species.

One day, they could all be on a DNA chip used in a portable kit.

# Military fly spy

A tiny fly that feeds on frog blood could one day help hone sophisticated military spyware.

The 2mm fly, discovered by NUS postgraduate student Gwynne Lim, 24, feeds on the blood of a tree-dwelling frog which lives in local and regional forests.

'Despite its size, it manages to hear in stereo to locate the frog call in the cacophony of the forest.

'If we find out how it does this, it could have applications for generating better hearing aids or military surveillance systems,' she said.

The blood-sucker was among 15 lookalike species related to the sandfly, which Miss Lim identified through DNA barcoding.

Before she did so, only one species had been identified in the region - in 1930.

Such applications could be a decade away.

For now, Miss Lim is planning to study the flexible membranes which are flies' equivalent of 'ears', and how the insects respond to different sounds.

Read more!

SOS! Save our sharks from the jaws of 'prestige'

Straits Times 28 Jun 08;

# By 2010, the Resorts World Sentosa marine conservation fund will provide $1 million each year for groups conducting research relevant to regional marine life. How will this help?

Executive director Peter Knights of environmental body WildAid tells SHOBANA KESAVA about how the sea's top predator has been devastated by the shark's fin trade

THE latest research on the effects of over-fishing has uncovered dire news on the shark population.

Four top predators - the hammerhead, blue, porbeagle and thresher sharks - have been decimated by 96 to 99.9 per cent since the 1800s.

# Why are sharks so important?

SHARKS are the flagships of the ocean, the equivalent of lions and tigers on land. As top predators, when they are removed from the ecosystem, the entire system is disrupted. They also reproduce slowly for a fish and so can take decades to recover from overfishing. Their rapidly diminishing populations are typical of what is happening as a result of overfishing worldwide.

They are also one of the oldest types of animals around, dating back some 400 million years. Although they survived the mass extinction that killed the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, some species may not survive just one human generation of industrialised fishing.

As well as their conservation, we are concerned that millions of sharks are 'finned' every year and their bodies dumped at sea, because shark meat has low value and takes up hold space meant for more valuable species like tuna, while the fins are in great demand, due especially to the booming Chinese economy.

# How can the trade in shark's fins be curbed?

FISHERIES management is often poor or non-existent and international protection is difficult because of a lack of historic catch data and no monitoring of the shark's fin trade by species. Until you list a species, there is no data and with no data, you can't get a species listed, so it's a Catch-22 situation for the sharks. Traditional conservation is always about trying to protect the supply.

But the reality is, the money involved often means that the protection isn't effective. Enforcement is not funded properly and people are paid high amounts to obtain these products.

I was originally an economist, not a biologist, and so WildAid's take on it is that if we can't influence the demand for these products, we cannot succeed in saving the populations.

The park director I interviewed in the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador said that the only thing people there could do to make more money than shark finning was the cocaine trade.

How do we fight that at the local level if the demand is so high? Our focus is that, when the buying stops, the killing can too. So we must reduce the demand if we are going to save this species.

It helps that iconic figures like action hero Jackie Chan, basketball star Yao Ming and other such figures have been helping to get our message across. Singapore stars who are popular in China would help too.

The environment is often bad news which people don't like to hear about. So, to keep it alive and interesting, the celebrity angle is just one of the ways.

# What about the argument that asking the Chinese not to consume shark's fin soup is an attack against their culture?

FIRSTLY, it's not in any culture to push species towards extinction, and saying things are 'cultural' implies culture is static. Culture hasn't changed more rapidly in history than it has done in Asia in the last 20 years. Our task is just to make this change part of everything else that is evolving at the same time.

At one time slavery was cultural in many societies, but that didn't mean it was right.

We're a fairly pragmatic organisation. I'm not vegetarian. And I'm not suggesting that there's anything wrong with eating sharks per se; it's just that there are too many people and too few sharks and the reality is, we need to change our behaviour before the soup runs out because there are no more sharks.

Shark's fin is consumed mainly in China and Japan, so we can't talk to other countries about its consumption, although we do talk to them about management and, in the case of the spiny dogfish (a small species of shark), about limiting the trade in fish and chips.

I have no problem with people eating sharks if it were done in an ethical and sustainable way. I take issue with the over-exploitation of a resource.

# How would you like to see governments changing?

INTERNATIONALLY, they should reverse the burden of proof as they have for the wild-bird trade in the United States.

Rather than having us prove that importing shark's fin damages the population, have importers prove that their activity is not illegal or destroying a population, because the overwhelming evidence is that shark trade is not managed properly and is not sustainable. It is easier to prove that only a certain amount is being taken in a sustainable way. There's no financial incentive to do it properly now, or disincentive for those who do damage.

Land the whole fish, not just the fins: That's what is just starting to happen. The US, European Union and some Latin American countries are starting to say that you have to land the whole shark, see it and monitor it so we're pushing for this internationally.

Then, we can prove that the fishing is sustainable and doesn't involve 'finning', so we can have certified shark's fins. The Marine Stewardship Council certifies fisheries where it is scientifically assessed and properly managed, and you can then have a premium brand which the public can buy, knowing that this is sustainable.

The shark's fin trade is so lucrative - a bowl of soup can range from US$10 (S$13.65) to US$150 - that you'd think it should be easier to manage. But the mark-up is huge for what is basically chicken soup with some cartilage in it and fisheries are very powerful in opposing change, so it isn't easy.

# What can Singaporeans do to promote shark conservation?

SINGAPORE has one of the most highly educated populations in the world and, as such, it can take a positive leadership role. Where we've always seen positive change in these areas is among younger, higher-educated people. People believe shark's fin is prestigious and if people in Singapore can say that there are other ways of showing prestige, then it is something that will be picked up in other parts of the Chinese world.

A Straits Times report of how 30 in 120 Chinese wedding banquets didn't serve shark's fin soup is a very positive thing to show - that you don't have to do it.

# By 2010, the Resorts World Sentosa marine conservation fund will provide $1 million each year for groups conducting research relevant to regional marine life. How will this help?

MARINE conservation is at least 30 years behind land-based conservation and the funding situation is the same. Such support is very significant, particularly in Asia, where there is very little funding opportunity for wildlife conservation.

Almost all organisations that work with animals, like Resorts World, have developed some conservation stance. There is sound business sense to it and the days of people wanting to see animals purely for entertainment are gone. People want to be educated when they take their children to see the animals. It's a global trend.

# Will you see success in your lifetime?

I ALWAYS get encouraged when people say 'I don't eat it any more' or 'I went to a wedding and it wasn't served', but the consumer base is massive, and growing with economic development in China. There are probably at least 100 million consumers there who couldn't afford shark's fin 10 years ago.

You've got to take the victories where you can get them. We managed to get the whale shark, the world's biggest fish, put on the endangered list and we will keep trying to get more species on that list.

This issue is not going to go away even in my grandchild's lifetime because the earth has finite resources and we are coming up against its limits - whether it is oil or water or global warming or anything else.

Read more!

How to tell if your food's authentic? Use DNA test kit

Genetic barcoding can ensure what you eat is safe, and even tell fish species apart
Shobana Kesava, Straits Times 28 Jun 08;

THE proof of the pudding may no longer just be in the eating.

Scientists are developing genetic test kits that could show - on the spot - whether food is authentic, even before customers take their first bite.

Diners would be assured that they had the real deal with, say, exclusive beluga caviar rather than an inferior variety of salty fish eggs; and buyers could rest easy that the Kobe beef they purchased was not just run-of-the- mill marbled meat, for example.

DNA barcoding has been used increasingly in the past decade by biologists to identify different animal species based on their unique genetic blueprints. With such techniques getting faster and cheaper, new uses are coming up, said Associate Professor Rudolf Meier, an evolutionary biologist at the National University of Singapore.

Small and simple test kits are already being developed in Europe and America. In San Diego, for example, high school students as young as 16 were able to distinguish between dried jerky of ostriches, turkeys and cows in their science laboratory, via DNA fingerprinting. This year, they teamed up with East African graduate students to identify bushmeat from endangered species in local African markets.

Interest in DNA barcoding has taken off in the last two to three years, said Prof Meier, with international foundations fuelling research.

A single test costs about $10 currently, but prices are likely to plummet as technology improves.

Such molecular tests are being touted as the modern alternative to the age-old scientific technique of using an animal's morphology or physical form to distinguish one creature from another.

But Prof Meier pointed out that only about 20,000 animal species have been barcoded so far, out of five million or so identified in the world.

On the upside, the system is proving invaluable in food-quality assurance, he said.

In the United States, for example, scientists testing 'snapper' from restaurants and sushi bars in California and Washington found recently that eight in nine pieces had been substituted with cheaper or over-fished species such as tilapia or rockfish.

The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore said that it is evaluating the use of DNA barcoding to ensure food is safe and that labels are accurate.

AVA spokesman Goh Shih Yong said that the authority was looking at such methods together with GenoMar, a Norwegian marine lifesciences company.

The interest in the technique is not confined to food.

In the aquarium trade, such tools could be used as a method for identifying expensive fish. A red Asian arowana, for example, develops its sought-after crimson sheen only as an adult. As a 15cm juvenile, it costs $2,500 but is indistinguishable from its garden variety red-tail golden cousin which costs $350.

Local ornamental-fish provider Qian Hu is working with Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory to come up with DNA barcodes for its dragon fish.

Said Qian Hu's executive chairman Kenny Yap: 'We hope to use this technique commercially by the end of the year, so that more buyers will come to us for absolute assurance that they are getting genuine dragon fish.'

Read more!

Singapore aiming to be natural resources hub

Siow Li Sen, Business Times 28 Jun 08;

COMMODITIES exchanges can help Singapore develop into a vibrant centre for natural resources, given the island's location in the region, said the Economic Development Board.

Last year a new EDB unit, the New Business Group, was formed to spot future trends and their business potential. This unit has identified several trends, such as natural resources.

An EDB spokesman said it had developed a Natural Resources Strategy early this year which encompasses mining, minerals, agriculture, aquaculture, plantation and forestry.

'Singapore is strategically located in the midst of the fast growing Asia Pacific region which is now the world's biggest markets for hard and soft commodities,' said the spokesman.

He was replying to a query on the wooing of commodities exchanges to set up in Singapore.

Financial Technologies (India) Ltd, according to reports, is expected to start a new commodity exchange in Singapore soon.

'Singapore could function as a nerve centre that fulfils global market demand for natural resources and create technologies to ensure global resource sustainability,' said the EDB spokesman.

'The commodities exchanges are a vital part of the market mechanism, introduce vibrancy and fits well into Singapore's business, legal and financial infrastructure,' he said.

Financial Technologies, which is in the business of setting up exchanges, is also the founder of Multi Commodity Exchange of India (MCX), the leading commodity exchange in India.

Financial Technologies and PTC financial services, a wholly owned subsidiary of PTC India Ltd, are the promoters of Indian Energy Exchange Ltd, India's first-ever power exchange which began operations yesterday.

Meanwhile, MCX chief executive Joseph Massey has clarified that MCX has no plans to start a new exchange in Singapore.

Sources say MCX could be involved with the new commodity exchange, called the Singapore Mercantile Exchange (SMX), through cooperative arrangements.

'At the appropriate time, I will comment,' said Mr Massey when asked about MCX's potential involvement with the SMX.

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Asia's developing countries urged to switch to energy efficient lighting

Melissa Goh, Channel NewsAsia 27 Jun 08;

KUALA LUMPUR: Faced with rising energy costs as a result of runaway oil prices, environmentalists are urging Asian governments to abandon fuel subsidies.

Loh Chee Leong, Executive Director, Malaysia Nature Society, said: "The fuel subsidy is what we called perverse incentive. We all are actually using surplus to live more extravagant life because we don't know the price of petrol."

Instead, the environmentalists are suggesting that incentives be given to encourage people to switch from conventional lighting to energy efficient ones.

Mr Loh continued: "We must give the people the means by subsidising energy efficient light bulbs, which we have not done."

Joining the environmentalists in making the push is an expert from the lighting industry.

Barbara Kux, Chief Procurement Officer, Royal Philips Electronics, said: "Applying energy efficient lightings to all of Asia would basically mean you can build 190 power plants (fewer) than you'll need with normal lightings. Every year you will save 30 per cent or more in energy cost and with increasing energy prices, the equation gets even better."

Ms Kux, who chairs the sustainability board of Amsterdam-based Royal Philips, said 20 per cent of the company's revenue last year came from green products and she sees great potential in the energy saving business.

She said: "Overall, the revenue for energy efficient lightings in Asia today is already 1.9 billion euros. It's already a big business, but you need change and you need support from governments, businesses and from societies at large. There's an issue of awareness, but the awareness is not the same everywhere."

But not all have pledged their commitment. While Thailand has set a national target to switch to energy efficient lighting by 2010, and the Philippines too by 2012, response from other countries has been lukewarm.

With energy efficient lightings priced at at least five times more than conventional ones, it is understandable why consumers are hesitant. That is why environmentalists hope that governments will take the lead by encouraging people to make the switch instead of just focusing on how to generate power more efficiently. - CNA/vm

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Oil prices 'blessing in disguise' for Asia

Business Times 28 Jun 08;

Morgan Stanley says that exporters will start to rely on domestic demand

(BEIJING) Record oil prices are 'a blessing in disguise' for Asian economies and currencies as high transport costs will coerce the region to become less reliant on exports and more on local demand, Morgan Stanley said.

Surging oil prices that are raising Asian exporters' costs to ship everything from cars to clothes to the West will encourage them to rely on domestic customers and this will help to reduce global imbalances, according to Stephen Jen, chief currency strategist at Morgan Stanley in London. Crude oil fell after touching an all-time high of US$140.39 a barrel on Thursday.

'In the short run, this is clearly a negative shock to Asia, and for Asian assets, including currencies,' Mr Jen, who used to work at the Federal Reserve and the International Monetary Fund, wrote in a report on Thursday.

'In the long run, however, this shock could accelerate the move away from exports.'

Global imbalances 'should normalise' as Asia's trade and economic growth, which have thrived partly due to the low cost of transport in the past two decades, are affected, Mr Jen said.

Five of the 10 most-active Asian currencies outside of Japan fell this year, led by a 12 per cent decline in the Thai baht and an 11 per cent loss in South Korea's won, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Taiwan's dollar and China's yuan are the biggest gainers. Rising oil prices are bolstering import bills and squeezing trade accounts in Asia. High transport costs act like 'tariffs' and undermine trade, Mr Jen said, adding that the increase in oil prices coincided with the decline in China's re- exports.

Asia exports raw and intermediate goods to China, and China, in turn, applies the final phase of production before shipping manufactured goods overseas.

The proportion of goods that are first imported from elsewhere and then re-exported out of China declined to 44 per cent from 57 per cent in late 2001, Mr Jen said. 'The ultra positive long-term outlook many investors may have on Asia should be tempered somewhat,' Mr Jen said. 'High costs of transport will act as a temporary headwind for many Asian currencies.'

While this oil 'shock' may encourage more regionalisation as high transport costs erode some differences in labour costs, financial globalisation is likely to continue to accelerate, according to the report. More global capital should be attracted to Asia, Mr Jen said. -- Bloomberg

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No ban on toxic waste exports

Straits Times 28 Jun 08

Delegates at UN talks urge nations to manage their own electronics trash
BALI - DELEGATES at a United Nations (UN) conference decided against banning toxic waste exports, instead encouraging countries to take their own action to address the steady stream of dangerous chemicals and old electronic items that litter the landfills of poor nations.

Support for a ban during the week-long meeting on the Basel Convention was driven by African countries, which argued that it was the best way to protect their citizens, and by the European Union, which already prohibits toxic exports.

But the proposal ran into stiff opposition from the United States, Japan, Canada and India over concerns that it would stifle recycling industries in the developed world that are booming amid the rising prices of metals.

The delegates instead emerged from talks yesterday with a number of other measures, including industry-supported guidelines for disposing of cellphones and an agreement to start similar discussions on old computer equipment.

'It's very sad, very sad,' said Mr Jim Puckett, coordinator of the Seattle-based Basel Action Network, adding that his group's main goal at the convention was to get nations to manage their own waste at home instead of sending it overseas.

Companies, mostly in rich nations, pay to ship their electronics waste to other countries for disposal but is unclear just how many tonnes of such waste are involved.

But just about everyone at the Bali convention agreed that the trade in toxic chemicals is big, that eventual disposal of the waste is often inadequate, and that the business is growing.

The proposed ban was the boldest attempt at the conference to strengthen the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal. The 1989 pact allows its 170 members to ban imports and requires exporters to gain consent before sending toxic materials abroad.

Critics argue that insufficient funds, widespread corruption and the absence of the US as a participant have undermined the convention, leaving millions of poor people exposed to heavy metals and other toxins. Many say an outright ban on exporting toxic waste is the only solution.

However, industry representatives said that the new voluntary measures adopted at the conference could lead to the creation of certified recycling facilities, which would be especially significant in developing countries, where old electronic items pollute landfills or are burned in open pits.

The hope, too, is that many of the countries would use the new guidelines to create their own recycling laws that would address the estimated 20 million to 50 million tonnes of used electronic goods sent abroad.

Mr Rick Goss of the Information Technology Industry Council, which includes most major computer and printer manufacturers, said the computer guidelines would offer a universal framework that would give the industry confidence that its products were being recycled responsibly.

The issue of toxic exports took centre stage in 2006 when hundreds of tonnes of waste were dumped around the Ivory Coast's main city of Abidjan, killing at least 10 people and leaving tens of thousands of people sick.

For much of the week in Bali, the debate revolved around the export ban. But as a deadlock intensified, Indonesia put forth a compromise, which it said would allow parties to revisit the issue in the future.

Among other things, the statement encourages nations to pass laws, as the EU did, that would ban toxic exports or, short of that, boost enforcement to monitor and detect illegal waste.

'In the light of the difficulties ratifying the ban, the parties have agreed to look at a way of resolving this impasse,' Mr Achim Steiner, executive director for the UN Environment Programme, said of the statement.

'That is a very positive signal,' he added.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

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Where have all the bees gone?

Straits Times 28 Jun 08;

Insects dying at alarming rate, threatening crops which need them for pollination
WASHINGTON - TOO much rain. Too little rain. Competition from biofuels. Now, dying and disappearing honey bees have been added to the list of factors threatening to push up food prices.

'No bees, no crops,' was the blunt message that North Carolina farmer Robert Edwards and others had for US lawmakers at a hearing here on Thursday.

Bees are not just important for the production of honey. About three-quarters of flowering plants rely on the insects and other pollinators such as birds to help them reproduce.

Bee pollination alone is responsible for US$15 billion (S$20.5 billion) annually in crop value in the United States.

They are especially critical to those who grow almonds, citrus fruits, apples, pears and cucumbers - plants that are not self-pollinating.

But bee numbers are declining fast in the US and Europe. In 2006, US beekeepers began reporting losing 30 per cent to 90 per cent of their hives. This phenomenon has become known as Colony Collapse Disorder.

Beekeepers have lost 36 per cent of their managed colonies this year. It was 31 per cent last year.

'If there are no bees, there is no way for our nation's farmers to continue to grow the high-quality, nutritious food our country relies on,' said congressman Dennis Cardoza of California, chairman of the horticulture and organic agriculture panel. 'This is a crisis we cannot afford to ignore.'

Food prices have gone up 83 per cent in three years, according to the World Bank.

Mr Edwards said he had to cut his cucumber acreage in half because of the lack of bees available for rent.

Another farmer, Mr Edward Flanagan, who grows blueberries in Milbridge, Maine, said he could be forced to increase prices tenfold or go out of business without the beekeeping industry.

'Every one of those berries owes its existence to the crazy, neurotic dancing of a honey bee from flower to flower,' he said.

The cause of the disorder remains unknown. Pesticides, viruses, parasites and even cellphone interference with bee navigation have been blamed for the collapse of hives.

Other possible causes include the combination of immune-suppressing stresses such as poor nutrition or contaminated water supplies.

Ice cream-maker Haagen-Dazs and natural personal care products company Burt's Bees have pledged money for research.

The problem affects about 40 per cent of Haagen-Dazs' 73 flavours, including banana split and chocolate peanut butter, because ingredients such as almonds, cherries and strawberries rely on honey bees for pollination.

Ms Katty Pien, brand director for Haagen-Dazs, said those ingredients could become too scarce or expensive if bees keep dying.

Last week, an Australian parliamentary report called for greater protection of the country's honey bees from foreign invaders that could potentially wipe out their population.

Australia is a major supplier of queen and hive bees to North America, Japan and the Middle East, cashing in on its standing as the only country not to suffer from a deadly bee mite known as the varroa destructor.

But the varroa mite has been found in bees in neighbouring Papua New Guinea and New Zealand, raising new fears that it could soon breach Australian borders.

The mite has hit hives around the world, with devastating effect on pollination industries.

The Australian Parliament's primary industries committee found that bees add up to A$6 billion (S$7.8 billion) a year to the value of agriculture and horticulture, and were crucial for 35 key crops and stock feed such as clover.

Ms Una Robertson, past president of the Scottish Beekeepers Association, told the Evening News: 'Einstein said that without bees, the world would starve in four years. Certainly, if you haven't got any bees, there's no honey crop and no external pollination either. We produce 5 tonnes of honey a year in the UK, but the pollination services they provide are worth £166 million (S$450 million).

'The total contribution by bees to the economy, including profits made from the sales of food, is up to £1 billion.

'So no holly berries at Christmas, no raspberries in summer - all sorts depend on the bees.'

ASSOCIATED PRESS, REUTERS

Viruses, mites and even cellphones fingered as bee-killers
Straits Times 28 Jun 08;

VARIOUS culprits have been blamed for the dramatic drop in bee numbers worldwide, including a mysterious phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder, in which entire bee populations desert their hives never to return.

They include:

# Viruses: These include the Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus, discovered in 2004, in which bees become 'frozen', and they die. Hives infected with it were also hit by a second killer, the Kashmiri Bee Virus.

# Varroa mites: These bee parasites first found in Java a century ago have since spread to the United States and other countries.

They suck the blood of bees, and have become immune to pesticides.

# Pesticides: Nicotine-based pesticides, which act on the central nervous system, are another key suspect.

Germany and France have banned some of them following a sharp spike in bee deaths.

# Cellphones: German researchers suspect that radiation from mobile phones could be interfering with the insects' navigation systems, preventing them from returning to the hive.

Previous studies have shown that the behaviour of bees changes near power lines.

NEW SCIENTIST, THE ECONOMIST

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